Saving
by annavale23
Summary: Currently: AU Teen!Skyeward Group Therapy * After Ward is exposed as a HYDRA agent, he is imprisioned by the team, but he escapes. Over the course of several missions, the team realise some truths. (the times that Ward saves them, and the times they save him). A collection of One Shots on the team being saved. TAKING SIMILAR IDEAS/PROMPTS FOR ONE SHOTS.
1. Chapter 1: Saving

**So, hey guys! This is the first in a collection of One Shots about our favourite team and basically all on how Ward is redeemed in their eyes. Just because I can't have Ward as a traitor! **

**The first two One Shots are in their own little mini series, as Part One links onto Part Two directly. After that, the net parts don't really include part 2 in them, but the rest follow a chronological order unless I state otherwise.**

**So, enjoy, and don't forget to leave me a review at the bottom, maybe?**

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><p><span><strong>Saving, A Collection of One Shots About Ward and the Team.<strong>

_After Ward is exposed as a HYDRA agent, he is imprisioned by the team, but he escapes. Over the course of one mission, so many things start to go wrong as each member of the team is injured or nearly killed...and all are saved by a man who looks oddly familiar._

_(The 5 times Ward saves the team, and the 1 time they save him.)_

_**Part One: Saving**_

Skye hits the ground, a bullet in her leg. She groans in pain, her eyesight sliding in and out of focus. She is alone in a corner: when will the team find her? She hopes that May is okay: before she left her, she was in a little...situation. Skye grasps at her leg blindly, bringing her hand up to her face to see her fingers coated in red. It takes a few moments for her brain to process that it's blood.

She leans back into the wall, trying not to throw up. She closes her eyes and then she feels someone shake her shoulder. She looks up to see a familiar looking man leaning over her. In her confused state, she strugglesnto place the face as he pulls off his shirt and ties it firmly round the wound as a temporary bandage. He presses her gun into her hand as protection and then he runs off, into the distance.

Just before Skye passes out, she murmurs a man's name:

"Was that you, Ward?"

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><p>Trip shoots the man in front of him and then hears someone behind him just as another man charges at his front. He hears the cock of a gun and knows that he's going to be shot in the back of his head if someone doesn't help him soon.<p>

_So this is how I go out. A coward's shot..._ Trip finds this hysterical. He always figured he'd die more heroicly.

But then the man in front of him goes down, and Trip spins around to see the sniper behind him dead. And then he sees a door swings shut gently, but not before he catches sight of a tall, muscled man carrying a rifle.

"Ward?" Trip wonders before he runs off to find Skye.

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><p>Bobbi and Hunter argue as they fight.<p>

"She demon?" Bobbi exclaims as she takes down an assailant. Where do they keep coming from? She wonders as more flood into the room.

"Well, you were!" Hunter yells right back, also wondering about how many more assailants they can face before he and Bobbi collapse of exhaustion.

An explosion goes off underneath them, sending them both into a wall. Bobbi doesn't move and Hunter's barely there, and can see the assailants moving in.

_Bobbi..._ He thinks groggily. And then - maybe it's from the shock of the explosion - he swears he can see a man hitting down all of the attackers with ease finishing them off quickly. And the weird thing about this guy is that he's wearing one of their (the attackers) shirts, yet he's attacking them.

And then, just as Hunter's about to succumb to the darkness, he thinks:

_That looks like Skye's HYDRA boyfriend..._

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><p>May runs from the room with the bomb, but she's caught by the explosion as it rattles up the corridor after her. May hits a wall, momentarily stunned. A man tries to grab her, and she kicks out, missing by a mile. Her head spins and she's about to throw up when the guy shoots at her. May dives out of the way, and hears another gunshot. She checks herself for injury and finds none. Confused, she turns to look at her attacker and sees him dead on the floor, with another man slipping out into the next corridor. Trip races into the room then, before she can follow the mysterious man.<p>

"Have you seen Skye?" Trip asks urgently as May stares in the direction of the man.

"Ward..." She whispers, frowning slightly. "Was that you?"

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><p>Coulson hears the explosion and immediately takes off in it's direction.<p>

_Skye, May, Trip, Bobbi, Hunter...please be alright!_ He pleads in his mind as he runs, his gun at the ready.

And then a door slams in his face. Couslon reels backwards, and sees a man there, looking surprised. The man lifts up a gun to shoot Coulson while he's still stunned, but someone else gets there first. The man grunts as a bullet pierces his stomach. He shoots at someone behind Coulson, but then falls dead as a bullet hits him between the eyes. Coulson turns around and only catches a brief glimpse of his saviour before they've slipped away. But Coulson frowns: he _recognises_ the man.

"It can't be you...Ward?"

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><p>Ward slumps to the ground outside the factory building, glancing down at his stomach. His top is stained red as the wound in his stomach bleeds out; there are multiple lacerations in his back from the explosion, not to mention some bruises and cracked ribs from his tussle with a sniper.<p>

He swallows drily, closing his eyes.

_At least I saved my team..._ He thinks before he passes out from the blood loss.

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><p>They find him half dead outside the building, half hhidden of to one side.<p>

The team waste no time in grabbing Ward, carrying him into the bus where Skye screams at Simmons to save him. Simmons works hard, relying on all her medical expertise to save the man on her table. May and the others realise that he was the one who saved them as they wait to see if Ward will survive, and all on their own they forgive the man known as Grant Ward, a traitor.

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><p>Ward wakes up, which is a surprise, since he thought he was pretty much done for.<p>

What is also a surprise is the warm presence next to him. He looks down to see Skye snuggled up next to him, her head on his chest, her arms wrapped around him protectively. May moves out of the shadows and places a hand on the man's shoulder. Ward looks up and sees May smile genuinely for the first time ever.

"Thank you for saving us, Ward." She says quietly.

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><p><strong>Up Next: The team are forced to confront their feelings for each other.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Confronting Feelings

**Here's the next chapter, as promised! So, in this one the team have to confront their feelings in order to escape. It deals with each team member like in the last one. **

**In the next chapter, it switches to the next chronological series, with a Ward/Coulson no ding moment.**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review, please?**

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><p><em>The team are trapped in a building. To get out, they must work together. But can they deal with their emotions enough to actually escape?<em>

**_Part Two: Confronting Feelings_**

When May wakes up, she immediately glances at her left hand.

It's an impulse she had been doing ever since the first time Phil had proposed to her, and it still shocked her, a decade later, that her ring finger was bare.

She gets to her feet and glances around, assessing the room. She sees that she's in a small concrete room, and the only exit is a door which is blocked by a piece of a ceiling. And near the rubble is Phil Coulson, slumped unconscious.

May rushes over to him and shakes him.

"Wake up, Phil!" She urges, and before long, Phil stirs.

"Melinda? Where are we?" He asks groggily.

"We're trapped. We're going to have to try and climb up to the next floor." May says grimly, looking at the hole in the ceiling. Nothing looks particularly stable.

May feels oddly itchy, and she knows why. Because today is the anniversary of when Phil first proposed to her, before Bahrain.

Coulson looks at May, and then glances around the room.

_May's right, we're going to have to climb up..._Coulson thinks, climbing to his feet. He sees May pacing nervously, and he knows why. Over the last few months, he and May have been growing closer, and she's scared that their relationship will burn like their last one did.

All Coulson wants to do is reassure her.

They manage to climb to the next floor and find the room above has a door that opens. They hurry through it.

They see another door, and Coulson knocks it.

"Coulson, is that you?" He hears Hunter's voice.

"We'll get you out!" Couslon reassures him.

"No rush!" Bobbi calls out in a languid voice. Coulson shudders, and then turns to May.

"Melinda, I know that you're worried about us." He says quietly, moving his hand to his suit pocket and pulling out a box. "But don't be."

Slowly, Coulson sinks to one knee and opens the box to reveal Melinda's old ring.

"Melinda May, will you marry me?" He asks.

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><p>Skye stirs, and feels like a freaking punch bag.<p>

She blinks her eyes open and glances down at herself, and sees that her arm is bent at an unnatural angle. Skye tries not to throw up.

"Skye?" She hears someone ask. She looks to her left, cradling her arm against her chest, to see Ward. He's bleeding in a few places, but looks okay. It seems like she took the brunt of the injuries.

"My arm." She gasps out. Ward kneels next to her, and his hands hover over her arm. He bites his lower lip, a conflicted look in his eyes.

"I think you broke it." He says finally, moving his hands back to his side. "Can you walk?"

Skye tries to get up, and nearly falls until Ward catches her. As soon as she's steady, he releases her.

"Sorry." He mumbles.

"For what?" Skye asks, testing out her ankles. Albeit bruised, they seem okay.

"Touching you." Ward explains.

Skye rolls her eyes. Even 3 months later, he still thinks that no one trusts him. But it makes her heart ache, because she loves him. No matter how hard she tries to convince him otherwise, she loves Grant Ward.

Ward is nervous around Skye, even though he knows he's forgiven. But he loves her, and he knows she'll never love him back.

Skye's arm is broken, and he sees her fighting the pain she's clearly in. He pulls off his shirt (he's wearing 2) and fashions her a sling to hold her arm still. Ward manages to open the door and helps Skye dart past the rubble. She nearly trips and he catches her elbow, puling her close to him. Skye's big, chocolate eyes blink up at him. Her pink lips are half open, her cheeks flushed from pain. Ward can't stop himself: he leans down and brushes his lips against hers.

Skye grins up at him.

"I love you, Grant." She says before he kisses her again.

"Love you too, Skye."

They hear muffled laughter, and Ward turns around to see Trip grinning at them.

"Skyeward's back together!" He cheers. "Now let's find the others."

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><p>Hunter growls in anger, thumping on the door.<p>

"It's blocked!" He says. "Someone's going to have to open it from the outside."

"We're trapped in here?" Bobbi says slowly. "Together? You have to be kidding me'"

"This isn't no picnic for me either, love." Hunter grumbles.

"Shut up and kiss me!" Bobbi yells, grabbing him and claims his lips.

"What!" Hunter exclaims. "What the hell!"

"I said, shut up!"

"We'll get you out!" Bobbi hears Coulson call. She hurries to find all her clothes.

"No rush!" She calls. Hunter grins devilishly and kisses her again.

"Round 2?" He asks.

"Round 2." She confirms.

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><p>By the time they all get out, Fitzsimmons are nearly tearing out their hair.<p>

"Where were you? We were so worried!" They scold.

Grant wraps an arm around Skye; Phil kisses Melinda and Bobbi's wearing Hunter's shirt.

Fitzsimmons look at Trip.

"Should we ask?" They ask him.

"Don't." Trip says, smiling. "Really, don't."

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><p><strong>Up Next: Coulson and Ward get caught in an explosion, and delirium causes Ward to confess somethings about his past that makes him question his whole outlook on Ward.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Shrapnel Confessions

**A Coulson/Ward bonding chapter. Written for guest reviews 'Rose'. Hope it's what you wanted!**

**If you guys have any ideas for this fic, _send them me in a review or an PM_, and I'll try to get them written!**

**Enjoy, and feel free to review at the end!**

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><p><em>Coulson and Ward are trapped by an explosion. Injured, Ward confesses something about his past to Coulson, who starts to question his view on Ward.<em>

**_Part 3: Coulson and Ward_**

Phil Coulson was often called the 'dad' of the Bus. He looked after his team like they were his children, cared for them, defended them. But there was one team mate he never bonded with.

Grant Ward.

The specialist had always struck Coulson as closed off, and Coulson hadn't ever really felt comfortable around him. Ward was all about business and didn't care for the rule breaches Coulson was accustomed to making.

When Ward had betrayed the team for HYDRA and Garrett, Coulson had felt personally betrayed. Like maybe he should have _seen_ it. They had lived together on the same plane for 6 months! How could he of missed a traitor among their midst?

Coulson is distracted from his thoughts by a cough. He glances over to see Ward waking up. The pair had been trapped in the rubble of an explosion, with no way out. But just before the bomb had gone off, Ward had shoved Coulson out of the wat, shielding him from the worst of the blast. Coulson crawls over to the specialist.

"Are you okay, Ward?" He asks. Ward blinks a few times, propping hinsef up against a fragment of wall. Blood slowly trickles from a wound on his head, and his side is covered in the sticky red substance. Coulson's eyes widen in alarm. The man had obviously been hit with shrapnel - protecting _Coulson. _But why had Ward done that? Especially when Coulson had made it clear that he would not be forgiving him any time soon.

"My side...hurts." Ward murmurs, his breathing laboured. Coulson's brows knit together in worry. Ward sounds feverish, which would not be good since Coulson had no idea when they would get rescued. Ward's eyes flutter closed.

"Stay awake, Ward." Coulson orders. Ward tries to keep his eyes open. Coulson sees them focus on him. "You have to stay awake, you hear me?"

Coulson glances around the room, seeing that they are trapped from the ceiling being blown in, cornering them. The wall across from them has also been blown in, effectively trapping them. Coulson sighs, his breath forming misty clouds. He strips off his jacket and presses it to Ward's injury. Ward doesn't even flinch as the material presses into his raw wound. Coulson takes this as a bad sign. He decides to try and keep the man talking, in an attempt to stop him from sleeping, which wouldn't be good depending he's got a head injury and probable concussion.

"Ward, you still awake?" He starts, sitting next to the man, bending his knees and wrapping his arms around them.

"Yes, sir." Ward mutters in response.

"How do you feel?" Coulson asks. A ghost of a smile tugs on Ward's lips.

"I've had worse injuries." Ward admits. "And I've _felt _a lot worse."

It's silent for a few painstaking minutes, and Coulson concentrates on the sound of his and Ward's breathing.

"I'm sure the team will be here soon." Coulson comments. "They'll get us out of here."

"When I was 15, I burnt down my house knowing my brother was still in there." Ward says suddenly. Coulson stares at him. "So I got arrested."

_Is the man delusional? _Coulson wonders. _Th__is isn't in his file!_

"Garrett got me out." Ward continues, his breathing irregular. "And then he dumped me in Wyoming for 6 months. In the middle of nowhere, with only a dog for company."

"Ward," Coulson begins softly. "You met Garrett when you were 22. Not when you were 15."

Ward laughs softly, wincing as the movement jolts his injury. He shifts slightly, pressing a hand over the jacket on his wound.

"Garrett wanted you to think that. So you guys at S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn't realise that he trained me for 5 years in the woods to be a HYDRA agent."

Coulson frowns at the man. Could he be telling the truth? Was Coulson and the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D so lax they didn't realise why was happening under their very noses?

"He would hit me when I got anything wrong." Ward murmurs. "I didn't mind that much. I was used to it. Because of Christian."

"Ward, what are you saying?" Coulson asks slowly.

"My family wasn't the best." Ward forces his eyes open to stare at the concrete. "They were obsesses with image, so we had to be the perfect family. Christian didn't like the appearance of new siblings, but he used it to his advantage. Garrett knew this about me, so I guess he also used it to his advantage." Ward laughs lowly, then grimaces in pain. Coulson sees the jacket become saturated with blood, and realises that the specialist needs medical attention now.

"I failed you, Ward." Coulson says honestly. "I should of realised that you were suffering. We lived on the same plane for 6 months? How did I not see?"

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><p>Soon, the pair are rescued and Ward was rushed to Simmons, who bends over him, trying to patch up the wound. After she confirms that Ward will live, Coulson sits in the medical bay with him until he wakes up. While he waits, he curses Garrett for obviously twisting this broken man's mind further. And then Coulson makes a call, and flies to Massachusetts. He waits in an office until a man walks in. At first, Coulson isn't noticed, but then the man turns around.<p>

"Who are you?" The man demands. Coulson smiles.

"My name is Phil Coulson, of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm a friend of your brother's, and I have some business to conduct with you, Senator Christian Ward." The door locks and Coulson's smile deepens. "And it's not at all pleasant."

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><p><strong>Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you on that cliffhanger. But you will have to wait a fee chapters to find out what happens between Coulson and Christian. <strong>

**Up Next: Fitzsimmons want to know why Coulson went to Massachusetts.**


	4. Chapter 4: Questioning With Fitzsimmons

**Hey! This was suggested by a guest reviewer. Although instead of involving the whole team just yet, it's only really about Ward and Fitzsimmons, because I don't think those science twins have been in this one shot collection enough! **

**In the next few chapters, you'll see a May/Ward bonding moment, find out what really happened in Massachusetts, and you'll see a Skyeward chapter. So keep on reading!**

**Yet again, if you have any ideas, send them this way in a review or PM. If I can write your idea, I will.**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review! **

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><p><em>Fitzsimmons are curious as to why Coulson went to Massachusetts unexpectedly, and decide to get answers. What they find, though, is not what they expected...<em>

_**Part 4: Questioning With Fitzsimmons**_

"Sir, why did you fly to Massachusetts?" Simmons asks in her posh, English voice. Coulson looks up from his computer to see her and Fitz in the doorway. Both Simmons and Fitz are hugely curious about the Director's unexpected trip. All they knew was that something happened in that room with Ward and Coulson, and when they came out, Coulson made several calls and disappeared off to Massachusetts for the weekend. Considering the man could barely look Ward in the eye, it was highly suspicious.

"Hello Simmons, Fitz." Coulson says poiltely. "How are you both?"

"Don't-don't dodge the que-question, sir." Fitz stutters as he searches for the right words. Ever since Ward chucked him out of the plane in to the ocean and he nearly died of oxygen loss, Fitz's brain hasn't been the same. His brain was permanently damaged by the lack of oxygen.

"I had business there." Coulson says calmly, opening a file in front of him.

"What business?" Simmons blurts out, folding her arms across her chest. "Sir, we have a right to know."

"Don't we?" Fitz challenges, adding on to Simmons's statement.

Coulson shuts the file and levels his gaze at the two scientists.

"For your information, I was there because of something Ward told me. So I can't tell you, because that is Ward's decision. So if you want to know so badly, ask him. Not me."

Fitz and Simmons back out of the office, closing the door behind them.

"Should we ask him?" Simmons asks in a low voice. Fitz chews on his lip anxiously. Frankly, the thought of seeing Ward - even an injured Ward - terrified him as all he could think about was Ward pressing the button that shoved the capsule he and Simmons were in into the ocean. But he was desperately curious about _why _Coulson would mysteriously fly to Massachusetts for Ward. What could of Ward told him to provoke that kind of action?

"Yes." Fitz decides quickly, before he can lose his courage and back our of it. "Let's do it."

The science twins move stealthily through the base to the infirmary. They peek through the window to see him sitting in bed, reading. He grimaces as he breathes, hurting his side. Fitz pushes the door open and he and Simmons walk in. Fitz's hands shake as he looks at Ward.

"Hello, Ward." Simmons says brightly. "How are you feeling today?"

"Like I was stabbed with a piece of shrapnel." Ward smiles without humour. He folds over a corner of the page, marking his place, and sets the book to a side. "What can I do for you two?" He avoids looking Fitz in the eye. Although he's explained that the capsule was meant to float, Ward still can't look at the man who he claimed to be friends with who's mind he damaged permanently.

"Well, er," Simmons starts awkwardly, wringing her hands. "We wanted to, er, ask you-"

"What did you tell Coulson?" Fitz blurts out suddenly.

"_Fi__tz!_" Simmons hisses. "I was trying to bring it up in a better way!"

"Oh, you-you were?" Fitz stutters, trying to sound defiant and sarcastic. "I couldn't tell!"

Ward watches them with bemusement. He clears his throat, interrupting their little argument. They look at him, mouths still hanging open, mid word.

"What did I tell Coulson?" He repeats, frowning. "When?"

"When you were trapped together." Simmons clarifies. Ward's eyes darken.

"Oh." He mutters, curling his fingers into a fist unconsciously. "That."

"Could you tell us? What you told him?" Simmons asks tentatively.

Ward stares at them with a unfathomable look in his eyes. Fitz can see an internal struggle going on inside him, and touches Simmons's shoulder to stop her from speaking, indicating that she should wait for Ward to speak instead of interjecting.

"Sit down." Ward commands, nervously. Simmons pulls up two chairs and they sit down. Fitz crosses his ankles, intertwining his fingers as he waits for Ward to speak.

"I told Coulson about my life." Ward starts. "How my brother took extreme delight in making my life hell, and then in making me make my younger brother's life hell. He used to hit me, and then threaten to do much worse to me if I didn't hit my younger brother. I usually did as he said, because at least I would go easy on him. Then my parents sent me to military school, and then I received a letter of my brother. He told me of what my older brother was doing to him, so I hot wired a car, drove back to my house in Massachusetts and burnt it to the ground with my older brother still inside."

Fitz's jaw drops open in shock. Ward stares at a spot on the bed in front of him. He swallows. "So I guess Coulson felt sorry for me, or something." His voice turns bitter at the end.

"No!" Simmons says sharply. "I don't think he feels sorry for you. I think he's angry at himself, not you. Because he didn't - none of us did, really - realise."

"Did Garrett use that?" Fitz asks quietly. Ward nods.

"I think so. He knew my history - he found me in juvie, after all - and he used that to condition me into his perfect weapon."

"But you're not his anymore." Fitz continues. "You're your own man, Ward."

"Maybe." Ward keeps staring at the bed. "Or maybe not."

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><p><strong>So, maybe you could review? The box is right down there...<strong>

**Up Next: May overhears something, and decides to go straight to the source to find out what it really means.**


	5. Chapter 5: Go To The Source

**Here's the next update! This one is about Ward and May bonding (in a total non sexual way) and May comforting Ward. The next few updates will cover another Ward/May bonding chapter (suggested by GrandMoffAmbrius), a Coulson/Christian chapter and a SkyeWard chapter.**

**And to the guest reviewer who wants me to do a Ward/Mack chapter, it's in the works! Hopefully, if my muse is agreeable, that should be up sometime next week. So keep your eyes peeled.**

**As per usual, _Send me any ideas in a review or PM! If I can, I'll write them!_**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

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><p><em>May over hears Fitzsimmons talking, and decides to go straight to the source to find put what it means<em>.

_**Part Five: Go To The Source**_

Melinda May had been called many things. Unwanted. Feared. A legend. A murderer. The Calvary. Broken.

But never a mother. Never maternal. Never the woman you would go to for comfort.

May sighs, shutting the fridge after collecting a water bottle. She takes a long draught of it, wiping her mouth on her sleeve when she's done. Sometimes, she regrets her harsh exterior. It's damaged a lot of personal relationships. But it has saved a lot of lives too.

She starts to walk to her bunk when she hears the noisy chatter of Fitzsimmons. She rolls her eyes and decides to wait for them to go past instead of walking past them, so she doesn't get roped into a conversation with them. She pushes herself against the wall, seamlessly blending into the shadows behind the door.

"...so we can't tell _an__yone _what Ward told us, Fitz." Simmons's voice becomes louder as she nears May's hiding place. "It would be a terrible betrayal of his trust."

"I understand, Jemma." Comes Fitz's tired response. "God, it's like you think I can't keep a secret."

_Neither of you can keep a secret._ May thinks to herself. _Y__ou both chatter about it as soon as you're entrusted with it._

"I just can't believe that that's why Ward betrayed us." Simmons sighs. "Because Garrett played with what Ward's brother did to him. No wonder Ward was the perfect solider."

"Ye-yeah, especially since he all Ward wanted was someone to...to...to," Fitz searches for the word.

"Care for him?" Simmons supplements. Fitz clicks his fingers.

"Yeah. That. Ward just wanted someone to care for him and Garrett...he,"

"Used that to his advantage." Simmons finishes, shaking her head. "That man is despicable, manipulating a 15 year old boy like that..."

The science twins move on, their chatter dying off into the distance. May stands there for a few moments, her fingers wrapped around the cold neck of the water bottle, thinking about what she's just heard. Could it be true? That Ward was already messed up, and that's how Garrett got to him? On the night after the Berserker Staff incident, Ward had hinted at something like that, but May hadn't taken much notice of it. She had been totally focused on burying her own feelings with sex, and hadn't really cared about Ward's feelings. Maybe if she had, she might have noticed earlier...but that was doubtful. Ward had played that persona for 10 years: just listening to him wouldn't have shown up the cracks in his armour. But May had to know what the sciencey people were talking about. So May decided to go straight to the source.

Ward had gotten the all clear from Simmons to train, lightly of course, so he had wrapped up his hands and was going a few rounds with the punch bag. He concentrated on hitting it, again and again. May slips in, two water bottles in her hands. Wordlessly, the oriental woman hands him one.

"Thanks." He mutters as he gulps down some. Only after swallowing it does he consider the possibility that May might have spiked the water, but he dismisses it almost immediately. Poison isn't the Cavalry's style.

"I heard Fitzsimmons talking." May dives directly in. Ward glances at her briefly before returning to the punch bag. May leans against the wall, hands braced against her knees, her water bottle standing next to her. She watches the younger man carefully for any sign of a reaction.

"They mentioned something about your brother. They weren't specific, but I'm not dumb. I can gather what they mean." May walks over and touches Ward's bicep gently. He flinches away from her touch instinctively. "Those scars on your back. The policy about unnecessary touching. It's because of your brother, isn't it." May states the facts calmly. Ward pauses for a moment before nodding shortly. May leans back, satisfied. She knew it.

"Did Garrett do the same as your older brother?" She asks next, returning to her earlier position against the wall. Ward nods again, still yet to say a word. May finds it funny that their roles have been reversed: usually, she's the silent one.

"How many times?" She asks softly, not knowing if she's actually expecting an answer or not.

"Every time I fucked up." Ward's voice is quiet. "Every time I did something wrong, every time I acted wrong." His tone _should _be bitter, but it's not. It's simply excepting, like that was the norm for him.

"Did you ever fight back?" May asks next, already knowing the answer. But she needs to hear it from his lips. Ward snorts incredulously.

"Why the hell would I fight back, May? That would have just made him angrier." Ward tells her.

"You know, Ward, it's normal to fight back. When someone says that they shouldn't, it shows something. It shows that that's what they're used to." May says, taking a deep breathe before continuing. "Not that it compares, but I didn't fight my depression after Bahrain. I let it consume me, let destroy my budding engagement, let it rule my life." May gets up and starts to walk out the room, pausing in the doorway before walking out of the room. "Don't let your past ruin what you could have with Skye, Ward."

"May?" Ward's uncertain voice behind her stops her. She turns around.

"Yes?"

Ward crosses the short distance between them so he's standing in front of her.

"Thanks." He tells her. May smiles. Then he hugs her. It's completely unexpected, and May's actually surprised. She pats him on the back before he steps back. "Thanks." He repeats before stridding back to the punch bag. May's lips remain fixed in a smile as she walks away softly, thinking that maybe it's not too late to become a comforting presence...

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><p><strong>Review, maybe?<strong>

**Up Next: What really happened with Coulson and Christian!**


	6. Chapter 6: Coulson vs Christian

**Hey, guys! As promised, the Coulson/Christian chapter. (Note: this took place in between parts 3 and 4, so after Ward tells Coulson about his past, and before Fitzsimmons ask Coulson why he went to Massachusetts so suddenly).**

**Next up, Skyeward! **

**(After this, I should have another Ward/May bonding chapter up, and possibly a Mack/Ward chapter. And even though I haven't actually watched the midseason finale yet, I heard about Trip, so I might try and write a chapter with him in it, as a tribute. All if my muse is agreeable!)**

**As usual, if you have any ideas for me, _send me them in a review and PM_, and I'll see what I can do!**

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><p><span><em><strong>Part 6: Coulson vs Christian<strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Previously, in Part 3: Coulson and Ward...<span>**_

_And then Coulson makes a call, and flies to Massachusetts. He waits in an office until a man walks in. At first, Coulson isn't noticed, but then the man turns around._

_"Who are you?" The man demands. Coulson smiles._

_"My name is Phil Coulson, of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm a friend of your brother's, and I have some business to conduct with you, Senator Christian Ward." The door locks and Coulson's smile deepens. "And it's not at all pleasant."_

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>And now...<em>**

Coulson silently thanks May as he thinks of the oriental woman in the reception outside, keeping the guards out, and keeping them in. He makes a mental note to buy her some flowers or something as a thank you.

"S.H.I.E.L.D is a terrorist organisation." The man points out his hand drifting towards a button on his desk. Coulson walks up to it calmly.

"Press that button all you want." He tell the man as he picks up the name plate on the desk. "No one will get past my colleague out there." The light glints of the nameplate as Coulson reads the words: Senator Christian Ward.

"Who sent you?" Christian demands angrily.

"No one but myself." Coulson shrugs, smiling again. "Why don't you take a seat, Senator Ward?" He gestures to the man's seat behind his desk, pushing his suit jacket open as he does so to show the gun he has holstered there. It's an ICER, but Christian doesn't need to know that. Slowly, he sinks backwards into the seat. Coulson replaces the nameplate.

"You see, I know your brother Grant. He is actually one of my team members." Coulson begins conversationally. "Until recently, I didn't trust him. Do you know why?"

"Yes." Christian practically snarls. "Grant Ward is a liar, Mr - Coulson, was it? He's a liar, always has been, since the day he learnt how to talk."

Coulson looks unfazed by Christian's violent response to his brother, but knowing what he knows, he understands it. Christian is an angry soul, and probably was born that way. But that does not excuse what he did to a innocent child. Two innocent children.

"I thought that for a long time, actually." Coulson admits. "But then, he saved me from dying, by taking a blast of shrapnel to his stomach. And in his delirious state, he told me something."

Coulson would not consider himself an angry soul. In fact, in his first ever interrogation, he threw up. But this man...this despicable man makes him angry. Very angry.

Coulson's fist slams down on the table heavily. Christian flinches.

"I don't like abusers, Senator Ward. I despise them." Coulson strides around to Christian and pulls out a needle. Christian's eyes widen.

"What the hell!" He yells. "Security! _Security_!"

Outside, there is a loud scream and then an audible thump. Both men watch the door for a painstaking moment until it unlocks and May peeks her head around, smiling widely.

"All taken care of, Coulson." She says sweetly. "Good morning, Senator." And then May's head disappears again and the door locks again. Coulson turns back to Christian, smiling again.

"In case you're wondering, that is my friend and colleague Melinda May." Coulson laughs slightly. "Back home, she's known as a legend. Once, she took out an entire squadron of trained assassins with only one gun and 11 bullets." Coulson feels bad for making up another Calvary story, but by the way Christian's skin pales, he knows that it's worth it.

"Now, this is a truth serum." Coulson explains, waving the needle about. Out of his other pocket he pulls out a phone and hits record. "And this is recording everything we say from no one, and it's streaming live back to my base. So confess willingly, or I'll make you confess...and then I'll publish the results all over the internet." He smiles brightly.

"I will not fall to bribers like you." Christian raises out of his seat slowly. "And especially when they are expecting me to _lie_ about my brother."

Coulson's hand shakes out and he stabs the needle in Christian's neck. Then he grabs the man by the shirt collar, a sadistic part of his head enjoying the look of fear in the man's eyes.

"Grant Ward is _not_ a liar." Coulson hisses. "He is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He is part of my family."

And with one movement, he slams Christian's head down against the desk.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Melinda May looks up from her seat behind the secretary's desk, her feet resting on top of it as she smirks at the security men she tied up. Coulson walks out of the Senator's office, and May glimpses an image of a battered and bruised senator. She raises an eyebrow. Coulson did <em>not<em> go easy on the guy.

Although she has no idea what they are doing here, or why Coulson is doing this, she doesn't question it. She's known Coulson too long not to trust every one of his decisions by now.

"Did you get what you came for?" She asks, swinging her legs off the desk as she gets up, picking up her rucksack as she does so. She pulls out a spray paint can and shakes it.

"Yep." Coulson waves about the phone. "I'll ask Skye to post in in a few weeks."

"Did I hear you say you had truth serum in there?" May asks as she continues to shake the spray can. Coulson nods, laughing.

"And all it is was that sleeping drug." He confirms.

May starts to paint a symbol on the wall, carefully drawing out every line. And then she writes one sentence underneath the large logo plastered on the wall.

_Heil HYDRA_. Are the words written underneath the huge HYDRA sign. A final touch to what they have done here, especially after Coulson injected the man with the sleeping drug. He won't remember thing, and will wake up to see a message from HYDRA. _Time to turn the tables, bitches._ She thinks smugly, slinging the bag over her shoulder as her and Phil walk out of the building, their mission complete.

"Did you get what you came for?" May asks quietly as they leave the building. Coulson gazes up at the cloudless sky.

"Yes, Melinda." He answers finally. "Yes, I did."

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><p><strong>Next Time: Skye gets annoyed about all the whispering going on at the Playground, and decides to confront each and every whisperer about it. Skyeward!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Skyeward

**So, guys, here's the next chapter! Skyeward, finally! Thanks again for all the reviews, follows and favourites. They are all amazing!**

**Please send me any ideas you have for this fic in a PM or review! If I can write them, I will!**

**Anyway, enjoy this piece of Skyeward fluff, and please review come the end!**

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><p><em>Skye gets annoyed by all the secret whispers around the base, so she decides to find out exactly what they are, one whisperer at a time.<em>

_**Part 7: Reverse Protection**_

Skye should be used to secrets by now.

It had taken Coulson weeks to tell her that she might be an alien, so she shouldn't be too surprised that they team were keeping yet more secrets from her. But she was sick of it! The glances, the whispers, the secret conversations with Ward...she had to get to the bottom of it.

So Skye sought out one of the whisperers: May.

* * *

><p>"May, what the hell is going on?" She demands, her hands on her hips. May looks up from her tai chi, looking midly annoyed at her interruption.<p>

"Hello, Skye. Yes, you may disturb me, I don't mind." May says calmly. "What would you want to discuss?"

"May, seriously. I've seen you talk to Ward in secret. Why?" Skye asks, ignoring May's snide remark. "I think I deserve to know."

"Yes, you probably do." May agrees. Skye looks up, hopeful. "But I can't tell you. Ask Ward, Skye."

"Arrgh!" Skye storms out of the room. There was no way she could ask Ward, not after all the horrible names she had called him. So Skye searches out the next whispers: Fitzsimmons.

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><p>"Fitz! Simmons!" She announces loudly as she walks into the lab. Fitz jumps, spilling a chemical liquid all over the surface. He scrambles for a cloth to mop it up, and accidentally (she doesn't even know how) sets it alight, and the fire spreads to the chair, where it proceeds to burn up Simmons's favourite cardigan.<p>

"Fitz!" Simmons complains, extinguishing the fire quickly. "I liked that cardigan! It was just the right amount of fuzz that it didn't overheat me, and not too little that I got cold!"

"It was Skye's fault!" Fitz argues. Skye gives Simmons a guiltly look.

"What brings you to the lab, Skye?" Simmons asks brightly, looking mournfully at the burnt remains of her cardigan.

"I was wondering if you guys could tell me why everyone keeps giving Ward looks, and slipping off to talk to him." Skye asks.

"Sorry, Skye." Fitz shakes his head.

"We can't." Simmons adds.

"Maybe you should ask Ward, Skye." Fitz suggests.

"It's about him after all." Simmons finishes.

"Arrgh!" Skye throws her hands up into the air, pinning on her heel and walking out. _Why won't anyone tell me what's going on here? _

So Skye goes in search of the final whisperer: Coulson.

* * *

><p>"AC!" Skye says cheerily, swinging into Coulson's office. He looks up from his cup of coffee.<p>

"Oh, hello, Skye." He sets the ceramic cup down - Skye notices that it's emblazoned with Captain America's shield. She smiles faintly. _Typical AC_. She thinks, mentally shaking her head. "What can I help you with?"

"Everyone's been muttering and whispering behind my back!" Skye complains. "And I want to know why! I know it's about Ward, so why won't any of you tell me?"

"_Any_ of us?" Coulson raises an eyebrow, taking a sip of his coffee. "That implies you've asked a few people."

"I asked May and Fitzsimmons, and all they said was to ask Ward!" She pouts. "So I came to you. Will you tell me what the hell is going on here?" Skye flutters her eyelashes at Coulson, who smile wryly at her antics.

"I'm sorry Skye, I can't." He says regretfully. Skye groans.

"How am I ever going to find out?" She wonders out loud.

"Maybe you should ask Ward." Coulson points out. "Because it's not our place to tell you his secrets, Skye. So go and ask the man!"

"Maybe I will!" And with that, Skye flounces out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Ward? Can I speak to you for a moment?" Skye knocks on his open door, hanging in the doorframe. Ward glances up from his book. He folds over a corner and places it to one side.<p>

"Sure." He says, his tone edgy. "Come on in."

"Thanks." She says, slipping into his room and shutting the door behind me. She stands in front of him.

"Now, maybe you can tell me what's going on here!" Skye exclaims. Ward frowns at her, confused.

"Everyone keeps whispering and talking to you! And no one will tell me why!" She explains. "And it's really annoying me!"

Ward can't help himself but smile at her annoyance. He should have realised Skye would feel left out if everyone else knows something she doesn't.

"So will you tell me?" Skye asks finally. Ward hesitates for only a split second_. If you could tell everyone else, to can tell her_. He tells himself sternly.

"I told them all about my childhood." Ward says. Skye nods.

"That thing with your brother?" She confirms.

"Yep. And also, I told them about what Garrett did to me."

Slowly, Skye sinks to his bed, perching on the edge of it.

"What did Garrett do to you?" She asks quietly, almost dreading the answer.

"He used to hit me whenever I messed up." Ward explains. "At first, it was only a few grazes, incidents that looked like accidents to even me. Then it turned into painful bruises and cracked ribs. He hated weakness, so he literally beat it out of me. Whenever I looked like I was swaying, he'd remind me of where I really belonged. With him."

"You belong with us now." Skye says, her voice low and husky. "With _me._"

She leans up and captures his mouth with her own, trying to erase his memories of Garrett and his brother with her touch. He slowly moves his hand to cup the back of her head, his fingers tangling into her hair as she deepens the kiss.

"I will never let anyone hurt you again." Skye promises as she pushes him down onto the bed, straddling him as she leans down to kiss him again.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one meant to be saying that to you, Skye." Ward whispers, staring into her deep brown eyes.

"You can say it later. But for now," Skye starts to unbutton his shirt. "You're mine to protect, okay?"

"Okay."

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><p><strong>What did you think? Tell me in a review!<strong>

**Remember, send me any ideas you want me to write, and I'll try to write them!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Next Day

**Hey guys! Next update is here!**

**Now, _please send me any ideas you have via PM or review! _Any if the ideas already sent to me are currently underway, I just had this in my head, so here it is. So, if you have any suggestions, send them to me, and I'll try and write them!**

**Thanks for the favourites, follows and reviews so far, guys! They make me so happy!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Each one of the team wake up with someone the morning after. How do they all deal with it?<em>

_**Part 8: The Next Day**_

Grant Ward wakes up slowly from his sleep, yawning slightly. He feels something shift on him, and glances down to see Skye curled up against him like a little kitten, her hand splayed out across his stomach, a small smile on her lips.

Grant stares at her for a while, not daring to move. He quickly thinks back to yesterday, and finds the answer to his questions on the floor as he notices his and Skye's clothing scattered around the place. His eyes widen.

_Coulson's going to kill me._ He thinks, groaning softly. Even though he tries to be quiet, the noise is enough to wake Skye. She stirs, sitting up slowly, rubbing at her eyes with one hand. She pauses as she sees her clothes mixed in with his and Grant sees her connect the dots. Her eyes dart down to him and she smiles sheepishly.

"Hey." She says quietly.

"Hey." He replies, his tone equally as quiet. They stare into each others eyes for a long time before he sits up, and Skye swings her legs over the side of the bed. They sit like that for a while until Grant decides to break the silence.

"Do you regret it?" He asks in a measured voice. Skye's head snaps up.

"No!" She sounds outraged that he could even suggest that. "Why, do you?" Her voice contains a hint of insecurity.

"I...don't." Grant surprises himself with how certain he sounds of his answer. "I would do it all over again."

"Well..." Skye starts with a mischievous smile. She leans forward until her nose brushes his. Grant notices how detailed her irises are, how they are not just simply brown, they are a complex mix of browns, ambers and golds. They are beautiful. "Maybe you can. Do it all over again, I mean. If you want."

"Oh, I want." He assures her before he tilts her head so he can kiss her. "I really want."

Their lips meet, long overdue and sweet.

* * *

><p>Leo Fitz blinks his eyes open sleepily as a shaft of bright light falls on his body from the window. He smiles and rolls over onto his side, and then nearly chokes on his own tongue.<p>

Because lying there, her fair skin bathed in the golden light, is none other than Jemma Simmons.

Fitz simply stares. How did this happen? All he can remember is Jemma challenging him to a drinking competition, him getting out the whiskey and then-

Nothing. A total blank.

Fitz buries his head in his hands. The first time he sleeps with his beloved Jemma, and he doesn't even remember it? _Typical_._ Absolutely typical_.

* * *

><p>Bobbi Morse stares at Lance Hunter as they both try and catch their breath. He sits in the left hand seat and she's in the right, their clothes pulled hurriedly on.<p>

_I just slept with my ex husband...in the SUV._ Bobbi could die of embarrassment. What if someone sees them sitting here?

"Well..." Hunter trails off awkwardly. Bobbi swallows, running a hand through her hair. She turns to him, the man she still loves.

"What are we doing about this?" He asks her, his eyes searching hers for the answers. Like always. Always turning to her for the answer. Only this time, she doesn't have the answer.

"I don't know!" She snaps, turning away from him, crossing her arms.

"Well, that's helpful!" He snaps right back. "You drag me in here, seduce me-"

"Seduce you?" Bobbi laughs, a dry barking sound.

"Yeah!" Hunter sounds defensive.

"You didn't mind 15 minutes ago, did you!?" She yells angrily, facing the window. In the faint reflection, she can see the singular tear rolling down her face. Because she's still in love with the stupid idiot. That's why she vouched for him, that's even why she went blonde. For _him_.

"Bobbi?" Hunter asks tentatively.

"Just go away." She says quietly, not looking at him.

"Bobbi." He tries again.

"Go away, Lance!" She yells, spinning around. "Go away!"

Hunter notices the tears instantly, but before he can comment on them, she's ran out of the SUV. He scrambles out of the car, doing up his shirt quickly and follows her. She locks herself in her room, so he waits outside and knock on it gently.

"Bobbi, answer me." He pleads. "Come on, Bobbi, at least tell me what I did."

Silence.

Hunter takes a deep breath, and glances around the corridor, seeing no one there.

_Good_. He thinks to himself as he moves closer to the door.

"Bobbi, listen to me." He says quietly. "I love you too."

There's a pause, and then the door unlocks slowly. Bobbi opens it, her face tearstained.

"What?" She asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you just say?"

"I love you too." He repeats before grabbing her and kissing her. Bobbi kisses him back enthusiastically. The pair fall into her room, shutting the door behind them.

"You're still a child." She says, smiling through her tears. Hunter grins back.

"And you are still a she devil." He leans down to kiss her as they fall onto the bed. "But you're _my_ she devil."

* * *

><p>Melinda May swallows nervously as she shakes the man sleeping next to her awake. Not much makes the Calvary nervous, but waking up Phil Coulson after they've just spent the night together? That makes her nervous. <em>Very<em> nervous. Especially since she can still see his Captain America underpants hanging off her door handle out of the corner of her eye.

Phil groans, raising himself up on his elbows. His eyes blink confusedly when they see her sitting there, in only her underwear.

"Melinda?" He asks groggily.

"We had sex last night, Phil." May gets to the point quickly. She's definitely not one to beat around the bush.

"Oh." He says quietly. He sits up, holding his head as his hangover hits him. Silently, without speaking one word, May hands him a glass of water and an aspirin. He takes them from her gratefully, and wonders how the hell he's meant to solve this particular problem. Maybe he should stop drinking Jaeger bombs?

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><p><strong>So, what did you think? Let me know in a review!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9: Hold On, Fitzsimmons!

**Hey, guys! This idea outline was suggested by CallUsTheAgents. Originally I thought it would be more Fitz Ward, but it turned into a more Simmons Ward oriented one. Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**the Christmas themed post will be posted on Christmas eve. **

**Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and follows so far! Tell me what you think in a review please!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>In which the team are doing excavation on a tunnel that once contained an 0-8-4, and the tunnel collapses, cutting off Fitzsimmons and Ward from the others, and communications go down. The ground on which Fitzsimmons are standing crumples and they fall. Luckily, they land on a ledge, and it's up to Ward to save them. Unfortunately, Fitzsimmons are still a little skittish around Ward since his betrayal, so can they trust him enough to save them?<em>

_**Part 9: Hold On, Fitzsimmons!**_

"Sir, what's happening?" Jemma Simmons yells as she starts to feel vibrations shake through the earth she's standing on. She glances at Leo Fitz, her best friend and science buddy, and he grabs the wall to steady himself. Grant Ward, who is crouched low to the floor, places his hands out in front of him to keep himself steady.

"Sir?" He asks down the comms calmly. All they get back is static.

The team was doing an excavation on a tunnel system where and 0-8-4 was once found, looking for any signs of what it might of been, since all records on it were lost in the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson had sent Fitzsimmons ahead, with Ward as a guard in case of anything bad happening. Although Jemma didn't personally trust Ward. He might have saved the whole team on multiple occasions, but Jemma did not trust the former lapdog of John Garrett. In her experience, people did not change just like that. Especially since the man had chucked them out of a plane to their deaths, despite the fact that they were meant to be friends. But Jemma hadn't wanted to cause an argument with Coulson, so she just swallowed her doubt and continued on with her work.

But then things had started to go haywire.

"I'll go check on them." Ward tells them as he gets to his feet, the trembles in the earth now subsided. Jemma nods once, a sudden jerky movement. Ward navigates his way back down the tunnel and Jemma turns back to her work.

"You know, Fitz, this stone looks quite unusual." She comments to Fitz. Fitz nods.

"It looks to be older than the...the..." Fitz searches for the right word.

"Surrounding bed rock." Jemma fills in. Fitz nods, and Jemma yet again feels bad for her buddy. Thanks to Ward, Fitz was now permanently damaged.

"I don't like it." Fitz mutters quietly to her. "Us being here with him."

"I know, Fitz." Jemma whispers back in her British accent, immediately understanding that 'him' meant Ward. "But we'll be out of here soon, and we won't have to be around him anymore."

There's another shake, and Jemma nearly topples to the floor if Fitz hadn't caught her elbow, saving her.

"Thanks." She smiles at him.

And then the floor breaks away from underneath them.

* * *

><p>Ward returns back down the corridor after determined that a rockfall had trapped them in the dead end. Coulson had yelled through that they would be trying to save the soon, but in the meantime to sit tight and to keep checking the tunnel. He walks into the end of the corridor and doesn't see Fitz or Simmons anywhere.<p>

And right where they were standing is a huge hole.

Oh, shit! He thinks as he grabs a flash light and crawls over to the hole, testing it to see if it's stabilised. He shines the light down there, a small shaft of pale yellow in the black abyss. He tries not to panic, swallowing it back down.

Come on, Ward, you're a specialist! He reminds himself. Get a grip! Fitzsimmons will be fine.

Then he hears it. A cough.

He shines the light in the noises direction and sees two lumps huddled together on a thin ledge perched perilously a few metres down in the hole. The light shines on them thinly, and Simmons's smudge covered face blinks up at him.

"Ward?" She croaks. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Simmons." Ward responds, trying to assess the structure of the ledge. Any sudden movements, and it'll break, sending the two scientists plunging into the abyss. "Are you and Fitz okay?"

"Yeah!" Simmons calls up. "But Fitz can't breathe well down here!"

"Fitz, buddy?" Ward calls. "Can you hear me?"

"Don't call me buddy!" Fitz yells back up, wheezing. "The last thing you called 'Buddy' died, remember?"

"Technically, I never named Buddy." Ward mutters to himself as he tries to think of how he can rescue the scientists without accidentally killing them.

"Okay, Jemma?" He says finally, switching to using her first name in an attempt to keep her calm. "Do you trust me?"

"No!" Jemma replies. Ward groans.

"Jemma! We don't have time for this!" He yells at her.

"Well, I'm sorry, but last time we were alone, you tried to kill us!" Jemma retorts. "So maybe you'll try an finish the job here! It's easy to say that it was an accident, isn't it?"

"Jemma, I'm not going to kill you!" Ward sighs, moving over to their bag of tools to find something, anything, that will help them. "So can you help me save you? We can discuss me later!"

"Jem, it's dark down here!" Fitz whimpers. "And smoky."

Jemma has to agree. The air is so cloying and hot it's making it difficult for her to breathe. So it looks like she has no choice but to trust Ward, even though she really doesn't want to. But he is their only way of getting out of this hole alive at the moment, so she's going to have to rely on the fact that Ward doesn't want them dead anymore.

"Ward, can you see that small pizza cutter like thing?" She asks after searching her equipment lists in her mind for anything to help them. She hears a few clanging notices and then Ward's face appears again.

"Yep, this it?" He asks, waving about the said object.

"Careful!" She frowns at him, worried that he might drop it, and then they'll truly be done for. "And we've got to hurry: Fitz isn't doing too well."

And it's the truth. He best friend, without moving an inch, is struggling to draw breath and he's shaking like a fragile leaf.

"So what does this thing do?" Ward asks her.

"It's kind of like a grappling hook. But cut to the structural integrity of this hole, you'll have one chance to make it right." Jemma pauses to let that sink in. "Can you do that?"

"I should be able to." Ward replies. "My instructors all told me that my hand eye coordination was amazing."

Jemma can't help but roll her eyes. Despite the seriousness of this situation, Ward still found time to brag about his immense skill. How is that even possible?

Carefully, she starts to describe what Ward's going to have to do: chuck down one end of the hook, let her attach it around herself and then help the rotor pull them up to safety. Ward attached one end of the hook to a stable patch of the wall and gets ready to toss the other end down to them. If he misses now, he could cause the whole structure to collapse.

Ward takes a few deep breaths, positioning his flash light so he can just about see his target. He takes another breath, concentrating on breathing in and out.

In. Out.

In. Out.

In. Out.

* * *

><p>Ward tosses the end down into the hole, and for one painstaking moment, Jemma thinks he's missed. But then it slinks down to her and she catches it in her hand. The ledge shifts slightly under her, and she hold her breath.<p>

Slowly, she attaches the rope to her and Fitz, knowing that this bit could still kill them. The rotor can only pull them up a bit: if Ward can't haul them to safety, they are dead.

"Ward?" She asks, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"Yeah?" Ward calls, about to turn the rotor on.

"I trust you." Jemma yells, and then the rotor comes on.

Both Jemma and Fitz scream as the ledge crumbles under them, and them they are flying through the air until they slam into the wall of the tunnel. They start to fall again, Jemma and Fitz scrabbling at the wall for a hold until a hand grabs each of their arms, around the forearm.

Ward grins at them from the top of the hole, although its strained as he struggles not to grip the heavy weight of two people.

Jemma keeps screaming.

And so does Fitz.

Ward grunts, tightening his grip, and Jemma thinks that he might drop them as his hand slips on her arm ever so slightly. She screams harder, and then Ward manages to drag them up to safety. Jemma lulls herself up over the hole's edge, and they all back away from it. Jemma, Ward and Fitz flop down on the ground, sweat covering all of their bodies as Ward's chest heaves. Both Jemma and Fitz rest their heads on Ward's chest.

"Thank you, Ward." Jemma manages to gasp out in between panicked breathes. She's not going to die after all!

"No problem." Ward tries to shrug. "After all, I'm Agent Grant Ward, and I just singlehandedly pulled both of you two out of a hole."

Jemma and Fitz burst out laughing at the old joke, and Ward joins them after a while.

And that's how Coulson, May and Skye find them, lying the floor laughing their heads off.

* * *

><p>"Do you trust me?" Ward asks as they make their way out of the tunnel systems.<p>

Jemma and Fitz look at him carefully, considering their answer.

"As long as you don't shoot me, like you did to that dog of yours." Fitz mutters, smiling crookedly.

"I didn't shoot Buddy, actually." Ward reminds him. "But I promise. Leo Fitz, I will never shoot you." He says solemnly.

"Good enough for me." Fitz shrugs. He turns to Jemma. "What about you, Jem? Do you trust him?"

Ward glances at Jemma, uncertain of what her answer might be.

Jemma smiles widely.

"Yes." She says finally. "I trust you again, Ward."

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><p><strong>Review, please?<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Labradors On Christmas

**Hey, guys! This is my Christmas special, and the idea (although I turned it slightly Christmassy) came from GrandMoffAmbrius. Hope you like it!**

**If you have any ideas, _send them me as usual, in a PM or review,_ and I'll write them up after Christmas.**

**And to the guest who wants an extension on chapter eight, I'll aim to have the written for the new year!**

**Enjoy, and happy holidays!**

* * *

><p><em>In which May notices everything, and wants to know what Ward is doing, so she follows him. What she discovers, surprises her. <em>

_**Part 10: Labradors On Christmas**_

Melinda May was an observant woman, and she saw everything that went on in the Playground. She noticed when Hunter slipped into Bobbi's room at night, she noticed when Fitz and Simmons held hands under the table in the lab, she noticed when Skye and Coulson started to plan a secret Christmas party, and she noticed when Ward disappeared for around 3 hours everyday.

Ward may have redeemed himself, but May was still suspicious of him. Why was he wandering off for hours everyday? Was it to contact HYDRA? May couldn't trust him without knowing exactly what Ward was doing. So one day, May decided to follow him. She couldn't let the festivities blind her. Just because it was Christmas did not mean that Ward couldn't be a traitor. No, May had to find out exactly what he was doing.

Ward walks calmly out of the base, a rucksack on his back. May frowns, wondering what is in it. She pads softly after him, her footsteps soundless on the ground. He glances over his shoulder and May ducks behind a tree. He keeps walking on, until he ducks into an old shed. May frowns. That shed had been there since they moved into the Playground, and to her knowledge it doesn't have anything of worth in it. Let alone a good satellite connection. So what is Ward doing in there?

May waits a few minutes and then walks over to the shed and kicks open the door. She breathes quietly in the dark, her breath forming mist in the cold air, and creeps up behind Ward. He's sitting in the floor, crossed legged, looking ta the floor in front of him. May frowns again and creeps over and looks at the thing he's looking at.

It's a chocolate Labrador. It is injured and Ward is tending to it.

"How do you know how to look after that lab?" May asks suddenly. Ward jumps and turns around, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, hey May. I was wondering when you'd start following me here." He says, stroking the lab soothingly. It whimpers slightly. May gracefully sits down next to him, her legs folding neatly underneath her. She watches silently as Ward gently grabs the lab's paw.

"He got caught in a trap." Ward explains as he unwraps the bandage on it and changes it for a fresh one. "So I brought him back here."

"Him?" May asks. "You haven't named him?"

"No, and I don't intend to." Ward scratches the dog's neck. "I had a dog called Buddy before, you know. He was a lab like this."

"Really? When did you have a dog, Ward?" May asks, intrigued. She smiles at the dog as it yawns and buries it's nose into Ward's hand. There's something about the innocence of an animal's eyes that warms her heart. Animals are like that: they love unconditionally, and they never hold back. Watching Ward with the dog, it occurred to May that maybe the animal was a good thing for him.

"You know that I met Garrett in juvie when I was 15?" Ward starts. May nods, remembering what Coulson had told her about Ward. How Garrett had recruited him straight out of juvie, and then had left him alone in the woods for 5 years.

"Well, he took me to the Wyoming woods, where he owned a patch of land so he knew no one would stumble upon me, and he left me with a dog." Ward says, feeding the lab in front of him some dog treats. The dog licks them all up, his tongue lolling out of his jaw. "The dog was called Buddy, and he was my solitary companion for those years."

"What happened to the dog?" May almost dreads hearing the answer as she knows that either it was left to fend for itself or...it was eliminated. And knowing Garrett, she's leaning towards the second option. But surely Garrett was not that cruel, to make Ward love something and then order it dead?

It turns out he was.

"On the day Garrett took me back to civilisation, he ordered me to get ride of the dog. And I could refuse, because that would be a weakness." Ward scratches the dog's ears, his eyes glued to the dog as he finishes his tale.

"He didn't?" May half whispers, in horror. No man could be that cruel?

"I tried to kill Buddy, I did. But I couldn't, so I shot a billet in the air, and he ran off, like he always did when ever I shot a bullet." May breathes a sigh of relief. But Ward's not done yet. "But then I heard a shot in the distance, and then I saw Garrett putting away his shotgun." Ward shrugs. "So I figure he took care of Buddy for me."

"Oh my-" May shakes her head, and then looks at the injured dog in front of them. In that instance, she makes up her mind.

"Come on, Ward." She says determinedly, getting to her feet. "Bring the dog back with us."

"Really?" Ward frowns. "Won't he get under everyone's feet?"

"I don't care." May is firm on her decision. "We are not letting a dog freed to death out here, okay?"

"Okay." Ward nods, scooping the dog up in his arms. He looks at May almost shyly. "Thanks May."

"No problem." May's lips twitch into an approximation of a smile. "It's Christmas, after all."

* * *

><p>Needless to say, the dog is a huge hit. All the team fuss over it, cooing at the dog who, frightened by all the attention, sticks to Ward's side like glue. Skye is especially fascinated by the creature. The dog glances at the tree they have decorated suspiciously, sniffing it doubtfully. Simmons squeals in delight, and starts to take lots of pictures of the animal on her phone.<p>

"What's his name?" She asks Ward, stroking the dog's muzzle.

"A dog?" Coulson asks her, his eyebrow raised.

May shrugs, smiling a secretive smile.

"Oh, man!" Hunter yelps suddenly, scrambling to his feet. "The damn dog just peed on me!"

The room explodes into laughter. Bobbi falls off her seat in hysterics.

"Bobbi!" He complains. "Why aren't you on my side?"

Skye clutches her sides as she laughs, and even May cracks a small smile.

"So what is he called anyway?" Fitz asks, intrigued.

"His name is..." Ward looks up at her and gives her a quick smile. "Calvary."


	11. Chapter 11: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

**So, hey guys! Here's my New Year's special! It's also a sort of sequel to Part Eight: The Next Day. A guest reviewer asked for one, and although I'm not to sure if this is what they wanted, I hope they enjoy it still! **

**Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites so far, and happy new year!**

**Enjoy, and maybe you could leave me a review at the bottom?**

* * *

><p><em>It's the last minutes until the new year...what will the team do to celebrate it, especially after all of their romantic get togethers?<em>

**_Part 11: 5...4...3...2...1_**

_**(Happy New Year!)**_

Skye used to hate New Years.

The holiday was only nice for people who had someone to spend it with, and Skye had never really had that. Well, of course, there was Miles that one year, but he wanted to make a stand against the general stereotype of New Years. So Skye had been sadly disappointed. As per usual.

When she bad joined Coulson's team, they didn't really have enough time to celebrate New Years. This year, Coulson had sent her and Grant out on a mission, to pose as a couple on a romantic date, so that they could watch their target: the wife of some Senator dude. Skye had enjoyed it, mainly because her and Grant were now starting their unsteady relationship. She linked arms with him as they casually strolled some metres behind their target.

Grant smiles down at her.

"Hey." He says, nudging her gently. "I'm sorry we had to do this mission on New Years."

"It's okay, Grant." I smile back at him, leaning my head on his shoulder. It's soft yet firm under her head, like a pillow. "I don't mind."

"But you do." Grant persists, knowing how much the holiday means to Skye, his girlfriend. (Finally, he can actually call her his girlfriend!)

"You love holidays, don't you? Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years." Grant asks, raising an eyebrow slightly. "And this year, you were disappointed again."

"Not really." Skye says truthfully. Grant looks questioningly at her. "Because I'm spending it with you."

All around the city, clocks began to chime as it turned midnight. Grant, taking a risk depending that they were meant to be watching someone, leans down and kisses Skye, gently and quickly.

"Happy New Year, Skye." He murmurs quietly.

"Happy New Year, Grant." She replies. Skye smiles happily, a faint blush colouring her cheeks as they keep walking, their mission not yet over.

* * *

><p>Jemma Simmons sits in the lab, the lights dim until it's almost dark, and sighs.<p>

Coulson asked her to write up a report, but she just can't seem to find the words to write. Maybe it was because of the man working in front of her, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration as he tries to figure out how to use his bad hand. Leopold Fitz. Her best friend in the world.

Only things hadn't been the same between them recently. Not since..._that_ morning.

She'd woken up in Fitz's room..._naked_. The night before had flooded back to her and she had gasped as she realised exactly what she had done.

She had slept with Leo.

The pair had agreed not to talk about it, to ignore it like it had never happened, but that was proving a little harder than she expected. Not for him: Fitz seemed to be fine ignoring it. But she couldn't put it out of her head. Often, she would find herself slipped off into daydream, dreaming about Fitz.

And that's when she had realised it.

She was _so not_ over Fitz.

She loved him.

Only problem was, Fitz seemed to be fine with how they were acting now. And so Jemma kept her feelings bottled up inside, and tried to work them away.

But it was New Years Eve, with 10 seconds until midnight. Out of habit, her and Fitz, in unison, started to count the seconds down, just like they had done in the Academy.

_"10...9...8...7..._" They start to count. Jemma bites her lower lip. This was her chance! It was tradition, after all. To kiss at midnight.

_"...6...5...4..."_ Come on, Jemma! You can do this.

_"...3...2...1..."_ Jemma strides over to Fitz and presses a chaste kiss to his lips. Fitz blinks at her, surprised, and slowly brings a hand up to touch his lips.

"What the-" He starts. "Bloody hell, Jemma, are you really sticking to this whole New Year garbage? I didn't think that you would buy into-"

"I like you, Fitz." Jemma blurts out, interrupting him. "I really like _like_ you."

"What?" Fitz whispers. "What are you saying, Jemma?"

"I'm saying..." Jemma blushes a bright red. "Maybe you'd want to get coffee sometime? Together? As more than friends?"

Fitz stares at her for a long moment, long enough that Jemma starts to doubt herself. _Maybe this was all a mistake-_

"Jemma Simmons, I thought you'd never ask." Fitz smiles broadly.

* * *

><p>Lance Hunter wasn't one for soppy romantic gestures. Hell, his proposal to Bobbi had been a joke: they'd been in a tight spot, guns firing on them from either side, and he'd said something.<p>

"Hey, Bob? If we ever get out of this alive, marry me."

He'd intended it as a joke, and Bobbi had taken it that way. But a few weeks later, both of them had thought about that sentence, and Bobbi had came back home later that day, and Hunter had gotten on one knee and proposed.

So when Coulson asked him to take Bobbi out to a restaurant, pay for a nice meal and do something romantic for her, he'd nearly choked on his own tongue.

"Why, sir?" Hunter had managed to get out. Coulson had shrugged.

"She looks tired. Maybe you could try to make her feel better."

But fate had other plans. Bobbi had come down with the flu, and he had wound up having to look after her. She slept, coughed, threw up, all in a continuous cycle. But Hunter, like the good boyfriend, had put a cold flannel on her head as she slept, held her upright when she coughed so she didn't choke, and pulled her hair out of her face when she threw up.

Hunter glances at the clock, seeing it's a few minutes until midnight.

_The New Year._ He muses, gently stroking Bobbi's hair as she lies against him, her head buried into his shoulder, her eyes shut as she sleeps. He gazes at this woman, who to him looks beautiful even if she's a ill, trembling wretch right now, and smiles slightly. As the clock ticks onto midnight, he leans down and kisses her forehead gently.

"Love you, Bob." He says softly. Bobbi moves slightly, wrapping her arms around him.

"Love you too, Lance." She murmurs sleepily before she snuggles into him, falling quickly into a deeper sleep.

* * *

><p>Phil Coulson watches Melinda May as she laughs, chatting away to some stuffed suits. They're at one of these fancy government parties, trying to put S.H.I.E.L.D back in a good light. The organisation was slowly but surely regaining it's strength in the public opinion. Talbot had invited Coulson to this New Years party, and he of course had dragged Melinda along with him.<p>

He walks over to her, and gently pulls her onto the dance floor. Her hands immediately go to his shoulders; his to her waist as they sway to the slow music that's playing.

"Your dress is pretty." Coulson offers. Melinda awards him with a bright smile, one that he loves to see on her face. One he hasn't seen in a while, not since...Bahrain.

"Thank you." She says. "And you look quite dashing in that suit of yours, too."

"Thanks." He smiles. "So, enjoying yourself?"

"Not really." Melinda admits. "My face hurts from smiling so much. Phil, I am not the sort of person you want here to help you rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D in their eyes."

"But you're the only one I want here." The words slip off his tongue before he can stop it. His eyes widen as Melinda's narrow.

"Phil..." She warns. "I thought we agreed to put that in the past. It was one night, no more."

"Melinda, I..." Coulson struggles for words as people around them start to count down to midnight. "I..."

_"...3...2...1..."_ The people around them cheer.

"Love you." He blurts out before capturing her lips with his.

"Happy New Year!"

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><p><strong>Thoughts?<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: Movie Night

**Hey, guys! Sorry, but this one's not as long as my others, but I still like this chapter a lot. It's Ward bonding with Bobbi, mainly, post. But there will be more Ward/Bobbi friendship moments in another post, coming soon!**

**Also, I'm trying to write a Trip/Ward friendship post, but it's so hard...now that Trip has passed on. *crying* . But I aim to get that finished in a few weeks, I think.**

**Updates might slow on this fic since I'm kinda obsessed with my Attack on Titan fan fic, published on here under a new profile. But I'll try to keep writing this, but updates will probably be once every 7 or 8 days. **

**But if you have any ideas PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send them to me in a PM or review.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews so far! You guys are amazing!**

**Anyway, enjoy, and if you liked it, maybe you could review and tell me what you thought?**

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><p><em>The team has a weekly movie night. Ward is asked to pick the movie.<em>

_**Part 12: Movie Night**_

Bobbi Morse liked to chill out in front of the television at the end of a week with a good movie, and maybe some popcorn. She'd put her feet up, which would be clad in her fuzzy penguin socks, and lean back into a comfortable sofa, watching the latest movie she had on DVD. Sometimes she'd re watch her favourites, others she'd try something new.

Over time, her new team had noticed this tradition and dubbed it 'Bobbi's Movie Night'. They would all cram on a sofa to watch a film that they all liked - although it would usually end with no one agreeing, so Bobbi would usually just put on of hers on.

On this particular Bobbi's Movie Night, not much of the team were around. Skye and Jemma had gone out for a girl's night, Fitz was too busy trying to train himself back up, and May and Coulson had mysteriously disappeared into his office. So Bobbi had gathered Hunter and Mack, who had in turn dragged Grant Ward out of his room. Ward had protested, claiming he needed to study*, but Mack hadn't taken no for an answer. So they all sat down on the couch.

"I want to watch some Star Wars." Hunter insists, crossing his arms like some moody schoolgirl. Bobbi rolls her eyes. He was such a child...yet she still loved him. Why, though, would always remain a mystery to her.

"There's this racing car type movie I wanted to try out." Mack suggests hopefully. Both of the men turn to look at Bobbi with pleading eyes. Not that Bobbi notices. She's too interested in Ward.

A HYDRA spy turned S.H.I.E.L.D, for real this time. Bobbi could identify with him: she'd had to do some terrible things during her stint in HYDRA. Of course, unlike him, hers were committed to keep up her cover, and she was always loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. The total opposite could be said about Grant Ward.

He sits in the armchair silently, watching them all as the two men (because yes, Hunter and Mack were meant to be grown men) bicker over which movie to watch.

"What about you, Ward?" Bobbi asks the man, who practically jumps half out of his skin at the sound of her voice. He glances at her, although she realises his eyes remain a few centimetres off hers, so he's not looking her directly in the eyes. Clever technique, she muses to herself.

"What do you mean, Agent Morse?" He asks, his eyebrows creasing together in uncertainty.

"Firstly, call me Bobbi. Secondly, what movie did you want to watch?" She unconsciously moves forward in her seat. Either side of her, the Hunter and Mack quieten down.

"I don't mind." Ward shrugs. "I'm fine with whatever you guys want."

Bobbi's eyes narrow. Before leaving, Skye had taken her to one side and told her about Ward's clever deflection technique. He would pass on all the responsibility to the other person, so he didn't have to deal with it. But even still, this was about a movie, for Christ's sake! Surely he could choose a movie?

"Come on, man, what's your favourite movie?" Hunter chimes in. Ward shifts in his seat uncomfortably.

"Er, I..." Ward's voice, which was already pretty quiet, drops to an even lower registrar. "I don't really have one." He mutters lowly.

"Not even a movie you really like?" Mack questions. Ward shakes his head.

"Garrett didn't really, er, allow me to have one." He murmurs, but everyone still hears. "And before that, well..." Ward shrugs, almost apologetically. "There's a reason I didn't get the T-1000 joke Skye tells until I researched it."

Bobbi's eyebrows nearly shoot clean off her face. Of course, she knew some of what Garrett had done to Ward, but surely this was too much. A movie was a movie, right? Part of fitting in? Just how strong had Garrett's hold been on Ward?

Impulsively, Bobbi gets to her feet and grabs a selection of movies. She spreads them out on the floor in front of Ward. Ward stares at her, uncomprehendingly.

"We have all night, right?" She checks.

"Yep, she devil." Hunter grins.

"Sure do, Bobbi." Mack's feel voice replies. Ward gives her a jerky nod as his response.

"So we'll watch everyone of these movies, and at the end, you'll tell us the one you liked the most. And then that can be your favourite movie, okay?" Bobbi smiles warmly at Ward. He swallows drily, silent for a long moment.

"Okay." He agrees, his voice low and hoarse.

Many, many hours later, and Bobbi was exhausted. Leaning back into the sofa, she glances over at Ward.

"So? What's your favourite?" She asks.

Ward picks up a DVD, and, a small smile wrapped around his mouth, he tells her.

"_Terminator 2_." He says.

* * *

><p><strong>Did anyone love that last sentence as much as me?<strong>

*** - Ward was studying for his GED. I aim to get a chapter out about that soon.**

**Thoughts?**


	13. Chapter 13: Studying

**I'm back! But I'm not coping very well with the AoS hiatus. March is so far away... :'(**

**But until then, this fic will have to fill the hole. Although it took me forever to write, I actually am quite pleased with the result! And I hope you guys are too!**

**So, this idea came from _GrantMoffAmbris, _so I hope I did it okay! Sorry if the GED bits are bit foggy, I'm actually from England, so the detail might be a little wrong. **

**Please send me some ideas via PM or Review! If I can write them, I will!**

**But anyway enjoy! And please leave me a review at the end!**

* * *

><p><em>In which Ward is studying for his GED at the suggestion of Coulson, and Fitz can't sleep at night.<em>

_**Part Thirteen: Studying**_

Leo Fitz had quite recently developed a case of insomnia.

Well, that wasn't really accurate: really, he just kept waking up really early and couldn't fall back to sleep. So Fitz had taken to prowling the corridors like a stray cat. He hadn't wanted to wake anyone up, so he hadn't told Jemma, knowing she'd fuss over him. And he didn't really mind the sleeplessness. Fitz had discovered a great amount of things on his midnight strolls. Like that Skye sometimes talked in her sleep - he could hear her through the wall - and that Coulson owned a Captain America dressing gown (Fitz had stumbled in on the man when he was getting a drink of water and had seen the aforementioned robe).

On one particular night, Fitz, still unable to sleep, is walking through the halls as usual, by this time is thinking about telling Simmons - only so she'd find some way to let him sleep. The tiredness was now affecting his work. Gawd, he was almost as bad as Sleepy the D.W.A.R.F!

Fitz decides to go to the lab and work. But in the way, he walks past Ward's room and hears a bout of heavy swearing. Fitz pauses, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. Is Ward okay? Even though he was still unsteady around the man, he still desperately longed for his old friendship with Ward, and still worried for him. Especially after Ward had saved him and Simmons.

He hears Ward swear again, and then there's a heavy thump as he chucks something at the wall. Maybe he can't sleep either. Fitz decides, so he tentatively knocks on the door. The noise from inside Ward's room stops suddenly, and Fitz waits nervously for a reply, his heart beating fast in his chest for some reason. Maybe because he doesn't want to be rejected by Ward.

"Come in." Ward says finally, his voice quiet enough not to wake anyone up but loud enough for him to hear. Fitz pushes down on the door handle and opens the door. Inside the room, which looks like anyone else's room yet much, much more neater, he sees Ward sitting crossed legged on his bed, a notebook in front of him covered in notes. Against the wall: a book is slumped, half open, on the floor.

"Hey." Fitz says quietly, his eyes darting around like a skittish deer.

"What?" Ward snaps at him, running a hand through his hair. Fitz hesitates, biting on his bottom lip. The tone ward used was kind of loud, but he's sure it's just because the man's frustrated over something.

"Er, I, I heard you." Fitz stutters, gripping over his words as he often does now, thanks to his hypoxia. "And I was wondering if you were okay."

"I'm fine, Fitz." Ward says, his voice barely concealing his annoyance at the younger man's interruption, even though Ward asked him in. "So you can go now."

Instead of leaving, Fitz shuts the door behind him as he walks into the room completely. He walks over to the book on the floor and picks it up, studying the cover. He glances at Ward, unable to keep the surprise off his face.

"Are you studying for your GED?"

Ward's eyes darken.

"So what if I am?" He snarls, as if afraid that Fitz will mock him. Fitz crosses the room and sits down next to Ward. Ward edges away from him instinctively, something everyone on the team has noticed. His aversion to being close to people, to touch. Even with Skye, his apparent love of his life.

"Coulson suggested I do it." Ward says quickly. "It wasn't my idea." Fitz blinks at him. Is Ward afraid that Fitz is going to judge him for wanting to get his GED? Because Fitz doesn't think completing your education is a laughing matter. Actually, he thinks it's quite cool that Ward's pursuing this.

Fitz leans over and glances over the man's notes, seeing that he's looking over the science half at the moment.

"I think it's good that you're going for your GED." Fitz starts cautiously, not wanting to anger Ward. He knows that the man has a huge pride, and he doesn't want to offend him with his next sentence. "But I think you're struggling with this part?" He phrases it as a question, hoping that this will make Ward more receptive to answering.

Ward remains silent for a while before his head quickly jerks into a nod.

"Yeah." He mumbles. "It's slightly more complicated than I thought it would be."

"Science usually is." Fitz tries to make his tone jokey. "If you want, I could..." He trails off. Ward glances at him, the dim light flickering over his face.

"You could what?" His tone is guarded.

"Tutor you." Fitz suggests quickly, before he can back out. "I know my brain doesn't work like it used to, but I still know-"

"So it's that simple, then?" Ward interjects glumly. "If you can understand it even with your injury... god, this is impossible." He groans.

"Not impossible." Fitz awkwardly pats Ward's shoulder. "How long have you been on this section?"

"9 hours." Ward admits, his eyes downcast. "I've got everything else nailed down to perfection, but this part..." He sighs.

"Let me help you." Fitz urges.

"Why would you do that for me?" Ward is instantly suspicious. "What do you want in return?"

Fitz can understand Ward's questions. For all of Ward's life, people have only done things for him for something in return. The guy doesn't understand the concept of someone just helping out a friend.

Fitz tries to smile.

"I want to help you. And in return, you van pass your GED." He barters humourously. Ward pauses for a second, his eyes looking confused as he tries to understand what Fitz is saying. Slowly, a tentative smile breaks out on Ward's face.

"Okay. I'll let you help me." He allows. "And then I'll pass that damn test."

* * *

><p>Fitz never got around to asking Jemma for help sleeping.<p>

* * *

><p>A few days later, when both Jemma and Skye were wondering where their boys were, they found them in Ward's room, sat up on the bed fast asleep, textbooks splayed out in front of them, with Fitz resting his head on Ward's shoulder. Jemma smiles and backs out of the room quietly with Skye... but not before Skye snaps a picture of them.<p>

"What?" Skye shrugs. "I need a new wallpaper on my phone, and that scene is adorable."

Skye strolls away. Jemma glances around, and then peeks her head back in the room and takes her own picture of the sleeping guys.

_I need a new screensaver._ She argues to herself. _And Skye's right: that scene is too adorable not to capture!_


	14. Chapter 14: Group Therapy - AU

**Hey guys! **

**Okay, so how I write these one shots is going to change. If they are labeled 'AU' in the chapter Title, then they are obviously AU one shots. If then in the chapter itself it's labeled with Teen!Skyeward, then that's the sort of AU it is.**

**Some one shots will lead on from each other, labeled as part one, two and so on. **

**My Teen!Skyeward AU's will have the samebackground, explained below.**

_**Also, I got Twitter! Go to my profile for the link, or search mikamisako.**_

**Anyway, enjoy this one!**

**And please leave a review at the end!**

* * *

><p><em><span><strong>Part 14: Group Therapy - Part One<strong>_

_**Teen!Skyeward**_

_(In which Skye is the adoptive daughter of May and Coulson, and Grant Ward is the adoptive son of Maria Hill, after being 'saved' from his family)._

* * *

><p>Skye May-Coulson was not very happy.<p>

"Come on, Skye, cheer up." Her dad, Phil Coulson, says, glancing at his 16 year old daughter through the rearview mirror. Skye glares at him, her arms crossed as she slumps in the seat.

"I won't." Skye spits back at him, anger flashing in her usually calm, happy chocolate brown eyes. "Unless you turn this car around right now, and forget about this whole fucking idea!"

"Skye, you are going to this group therapy class whether you like it or not." Coulson tells her sharply.

He and her mother, Melinda, decided to send Skye to group therapy after his boss, Nick Fury, stormed into his house in the early hours of the morning to inform Coulson that Skye had, once again, hacked into SHIELD'S supposedly secure databases and sent a message across every computer in SHIELD: a meme of a cat going 'I can have cheezeburger?'.

Needless to say, Fury was not impressed.

Coulson and May had sat down to discuss their adoptive daughter's behaviour. They were both SHIELD agents: he a field agent that worked mainly on preparing missions than executing them after adopting Skye, she an administrative agent, moving carefully back into field work. This unfortunately interfered with the time they had left to sort out Skye's behaviour.

It was clear to her parents that Skye craved attention, and she got it through hacking into various different government databases. Melinda said that it was probably linked to her life before they had adopted her, as she was often overlooked in favour of other children in the orphanage. But Coulson had no idea what to do. Melinda and him couldn't watch her 24/7, so, with the hope of Skye finding what she wanted, he took the advice of his colleague Maria Hill.

He sent Skye to group therapy.

Of course, it wasn't any old group therapy class. It was only for the children of SHIELD operatives, and the therapist was SHIELD approved. Melinda assured him that Skye would be safe there. Maria, who was also sending her kid, praised the group.

So Coulson went with the idea.

Skye was not as enthusiastic.

"I hate you." She tells her father as he parks the shiny red corvette car, his most prised possession.

"Skye, please. Just give it a try." Coulson pleads as he gets out of the car, and Skye moodily follows. She makes a noise deep in her throat which tells Coulson she's not willing to cooperate.

They walk into the building, and a lady on the reception smiles politely at him. Coulson swallows. The therapy class is being held in the basement level, and he needs to sign Skye in. But somehow, this whole building is intimidating, and he even considers turning away and running back to his car, Skye in hand, when a familiar voice calls out to him.

"Phil!" Agent Victoria Hand smiles at him, walking over to him briskly.

"Vicky." He smiles back. "You're here too?"

"Yeah." Hand tosses her hair back, which has red highlights darted throughout. Victoria Hand is a formidable woman, and a brilliant agent. Few would want to cross her, but Coulson wonders what she's doing here, especially since he knows that she has no children.

"I'm escorting two rascals." She nods. "Just put them into the therapy I'm guessing you're headed to."

"Yeah." Coulson nods.

"I can take her down if you want." Hand offers. "So you can get on."

Coulson glances down at Skye, who shoots him a poisonous look. As much as he loves his daughter, he really doesn't think that he can keep his cool with her any longer, so he accepts Hand's offer.

"See you later, Skye." He says to his daughter.

"Yeah, whatever." Skye mutters, not meeting his eyes. With a heavy heart, Coulson walks away from his daughter, hoping that this group therapy will help her.

* * *

><p>Skye shoots the woman walking next to her a glare.<p>

How dare her father send her here? Therapy? She doesn't need therapy. God, she hacks into a few high level government databases, and she's sent to this crap? Talk about an over reaction.

Victoria Hand walks silently next to her. Skye knows of the woman, and has met her a few times. But Skye's never liked the woman, finding her too mission oriented, and too cold for her liking.

Hand takes her into the lift, and Skye presses the button to go down. Hand remains quiet throughout the journey, leaving Skye to hear the creaking noises as the old elevator drops down a floor. Skye grabs the barrier, feeling her stomach drop in that funny feeling you always get in elevators. The doors ping open and Hand escorts her through them.

Hand leads her down a corridor, the walls painted an ugly yellow, and opens the door at the end of the hall. A tall dark skinned man glances up and smiles, and Skye sees a group of kids all leaning in plastic chairs, set in a circle.

"Hello there." The man smiles. "I'm Doctor Andrew Garner. Pleased to meet you."

"This is Coulson's kid." Hand tells him. "I'll be going now." And then the woman leaves, and Skye is alone in a room full to the brim with strangers.

"What's your name?" Dr Garner asks her as he leads her over into the circle.

"Skye May-Coulson." She answers him reluctantly.

"Take a seat, Skye." He smiles. Skye glances around and sees only two seats open: one in between two kids, one a tall blonde girl and the other a shorter guy, both with their arms crossed and identical annoyed looks on their faces. And the other...

Skye finds herself walking towards the seat before she even knows what she's doing, and people on either side of it glance at her. One is nondescript, a kid she's never seen before, but the other, although he is also unknown, is also damn hot. He has angled cheekbones, dark hair and even darker eyes. He lounges in the chair with an expression of non interest on his face, and Skye feels herself smiling.

_Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought..._ She thinks to herself.

"Okay, now that we're all here," Dr Garner starts, taking his seat. "Let's start. My name is Dr Andrew Garner, and you guys are all here for my group therapy. Now, it's okay if you don't want to participate, but maybe, over time, you'll want to."

Dr Garner asks them all to introduce themselves to the group. Skye tunes most of it out, but when the boy and girl she could have sat down stand up to introduce themselves (because apparently they came together), her ears perk up.

"I'm Bobbi Morse." The girl smiles. "And this here is Lan-"

"I can introduce myself, Bobbi!" The boy scowls. "I'm Lance Hunter."

"Why are you two here?" Dr Garner asks.

"Because she's a she devil!" The boy, Lance, turns his back on the girl, Bobbi.

"Well, you're a child!" Bobbi retorts. "Dr Garner, I'm dating this idiot, and our parents made us come so we could sort out our issues with each other." She explains.

"Okay." Dr Garner nods. "You may sit down."

Skye finds out that the guy on her other side (not Cheekbones, as she's nicknamed him) is called Mack, and is there dealing with grief after his mother's death. And then it's her turn.

She stands up, and folds her arms over her chest.

"I'm Skye May-Coulson." She says in a disinterested voice. "And I'm here because my parents threw a fit after I hacked into Level 10 of SHIELD and sent a meme of a lol cat over the whole network."

Bobbi barely suppresses a laugh at Skye's words, Lance smiles and even Mack gives a little snort. The only ones who doesn't react to her words are Dr Garner and Cheekbones.

"Interesting, Skye." Dr Garner tells her. "You may sit back down."

Skye sits down with a thump, and then Cheekbones gets to his feet. Skye sees that he's tall, and she likes the views she's getting.

"I'm Grant Ward." Cheekbones says in a voice Skye thinks shouldn't be legal outside a bedroom. "And I'm here because..." He trails off briefly, and then continues. "My guardian thought it would be good for me to 'get my feelings out in the open'." It's clear that Cheekbones - Grant (she likes his name a lot) - has no respect for the idea as sarcasm literally drips off his words.

"Okay, Grant." Dr Garner says.

Over the course of the session, Dr Garner has them separate off into pairs to discuss their problems. Skye glances around, and the turns to Grant next to her.

"Want to be partners?" She smiles her best 'come hither' smile.

"Okay." Grant looks slightly nervous, and uncertain of his response. Skye and Grant drag their chairs off into the corner, and then Dr Garner tells them to talk.

And to her surprise, Skye finds herself obeying.

Her entire life spills out off her tongue, in rivers that can't be stopped. They keep flowing until Skye has told this boy every little detail about her childhood. About the orphanage, about how she was always ignored for other kids, and how she gave up on the hope of ever getting adopted. And even now, she still thinks that Coulson and May might send her back.

Grant listens quietly, patiently, and lets herself talk herself to exhaustion. And when she's finally done, he speaks.

"I don't think your parent will send you away." He says quietly. "I think they really love you, but maybe they're just worried for you?"

"Maybe." Skye admits. "But I... I can't believe I actually just told you, a total stranger, all of that."

Grant looks up and meets her eyes. Skye notices that his brown eyes look haunted and sad, and she realises that she has never seen eyes so old in a face so young.

"Sometimes telling a stranger is the best way." He says quietly. "But sometimes it can also be the worst."

Skye can't understand what he really means until several weeks later, when he finally tells her his story.

* * *

><p>Weeks pass. Coulson sees a difference in his daughter. She's happier, and hangs out with Mack, Bobbi and Lance from her therapy class. He notices that she seems close with one of the kids, but he doesn't know who he is.<p>

But he doesn't worry. It's been weeks since her last catastrophic hack, and May and he can finally relax.

They have their daughter back.

"Grant." Skye says one day, when Dr Garner has sent them outside to talk, so Grant and her chose a wall underneath the shade of a huge oak tree.

"Yeah, Skye?" He says, glancing at her. Skye can't believe that she met this boy, who has become such a close friend, even if she wants more. But she can't make that move.

Not until she knows his truth. His story.

"Why?" The single word conveys all she wants to know. Why are you here? What happened to you? Why don't you trust people? What are those scars I see on you when your clothes shift? Why don't you live with your real parents? (Because she knows that they're not dead, and he's not adopted). Just why?

Grant closes his eyes briefly, his legs swinging off the side of the wall. Skye sits some distance away from him. She doesn't move closer.

"I was born Grant Douglas Ward, the second son of the Ward family." He starts, his voice low and quiet, so quiet Skye has to strain her ears to hear what he's saying. His eyes remain closed. "Christian Ward was my older brother, Thomas my younger brother. My mother was Valerie, my father Christian senior.

My mother favoured Thomas out of all us brothers. He was her favourite, the boy that could do no wrong. Christian hated that, so much than his anger exploded from him, and he conducted it towards Thomas and I.

He hit me, and hit Thomas. Our mother was no better, with her alcohol addiction, and her pills. She had no time for Christian and I, and hated us for ever being born. So she'd foray into the abuse, being deliberately cruel to us as my father watched, never interfering."

Skye listens in silence, biting down hard on her lip.

"One day, when I was twelve, Christian shoved Thomas down the well at the bottom of our grandparent's garden. I wanted to get him out." Grant's voice, which has been in monotone so far, threatens to break. He takes a second to breath, composing himself. Skye itches to reach out to him, to hug him, but she knows that he has to finish on his own, or he'll never speak the words that need to be said. So she resists, and he continues.

"Christian told me he'd chuck me down there too. I ignored him. Thomas couldn't swim. He'd die. So Christian hit me in the head, and when I was on the ground he kicked me relentlessly until I went out cold.

"Thomas nearly died in that well. But by the time I'd awoken, and rescued him, Thomas had seen that one of us would die if things kept going on like this. He tried to persuade our mother, who told him to stop lying.

So he did the only thing he could. He called the police." Grant takes another breath. "On that night, I was fourteen, and I had had enough. I grabbed a wine bottle, and I had hit Christian over the head with it. Christian had grabbed it back off Mr and proceeded to attempt to kill me with the shards. By the time the police arrived, I had lost a lot of blood, Thomas was hysterical, and Christian had moved onto our mother."

_Did he kill her?_ Skye wants to ask him, but she keeps quiet._ I have to let him finish._

"I spent around 6 months in hospital recovering. SHIELD got to me in the hospital, and offered Thomas and I a way out. I accepted it, although it meant having to be separated from Thomas. He went to live with some retired agents in Detroit, and I went to live with Maria Hill." He stops suddenly, like a train crash.

"Grant-" Skye lunges forward and crashes into him, hugging him close. Grant remains still in her embrace.

"While Christian was distracted with our mother, I grabbed our father's shotgun from the cabinet. And then I shot Christian." His voice is muffled in her shoulder, and Sky goes still. "I didn't kill him, but I might of. I paralysed him instead."

"Grant." Skye murmurs, still holding him. "Oh, Grant."

"I tried to kill him, Skye." He mutters, his voice full of self loathing. "I tried to kill my own brother."

"He tried to kill you." She reminds him.

And that's when Skye sees it. She's technically a stranger to Grant. And he told her his story, so the real question is how she'll react now. Stay with him until it gets to hard and leave him, breaking Grant, or just staying.

But Skye knows her answer. In a way, she's always known it.

"I'm staying." She whispers, resting her chin on Grant's head as he rests his head against her shoulder, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

And they stay like that for a long time, until they have to leave.

But Skye never really ever leaves Grant Ward, or his many demons, alone.


End file.
